What can I do for you?

Bob Dylan on his Saved Album sings, ' You have given me everything, what can I do for you?' It is a reminder of what Saul asked Jesus when he was knocked of his religious high horse on his way to Damascus to kill Christians who followed Christ, to drag them out of their homes, imprison them and approving their stoning like he did with the first Christian martyr, Stephen. Imagine his surprise when Jesus said, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, and then Jesus said, it is hard for you to kick against the goads!
You goad cattle to go into the dire straits of a cattle dip! Goads are sharp pointed sticks that prod you in the right direction.
Here was Saul with written permission from the Sanhedrin to destroy the first church and he was thinking he was doing God a favour. But when Jesus appeared to him, he was struck blind (temporarily) by the blindening light and he fell off his horse and heard a voice speak to him, because he could not see.
His first reaction was to ask, ' who are you Lord?' Then Jesus told him who He was. His second question was, ' What can I do for you?'
Either it was a wonderful Jewish salesman speaking or someone scared out of his wits, or it must have been his trained habit to respond in a similar fashion.
I once asked a friend of my father who was a very successful book keeper in Krugersdorp, Oom Joubert, what made him so prosperous. He said, 'Andre, when someone walks through that door I think, what can I do for that person!' Here lies the secret: he did not think, 'how much money can I make from this person!'
It is the thought behind the words that give weight to them. Many times I have walked into shops or restaurants and walked out again, even though I was asked, ' Can I help you?' Just because the words were insincere and empty.
In South Africa waiters and waitresses normally do it just for the tips. They do not get salaries, so it is a cheap way to staff the restaurant by hiring students. They are all studying to become something else than waiters. Their hearts are not in what they are doing. They will tell you so. Then why be served by them in the first place?
In Portugal, even in the tiniest sidewalk restaurant, old men, dressed smartly in bow tie and waist coat (black) will ask you if they could help you and actually mean it with all their hearts because they are plying their trade and wish to do nothing else: this is their lives! What a difference it makes to be served by professionals!
In life we do a lot of things and try a lot of things, but when we can truly say, 'what can I do for you?' and mean it, we will find our destiny and enjoy a purposeful life - instead of seeking our purpose with five easy steps as some books and seminars sell it to you!